jour de congé
/ʒuʁ də kɔ̃.ʒe/masculine
The English phrase 'day off' is translated into French as jour de congé.
The phrase refers to a day of vacation etc. You can also use the word congé on its own to refer more broadly to leave or time off from work.
Meaning: a day of vacation etc. (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, jour de congé means 'day of leave'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is a masculine noun. To talk about multiple days off, the plural form is jours de congé, where only the word jour is pluralized.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒuʁ də kɔ̃.ʒe/
Did you know?
- While jour de congé is common, you may hear people use pont meaning 'bridge' to describe a day off that connects a public holiday to a weekend.
- In architecture, congé refers to a specific curved molding that smooths the transition between two surfaces.
- The word congé can also be used as a verb in the phrase donner congé, which means to fire someone or break off a relationship.
Examples in context
- C'est mon jour de congé.It's my day off.This sentence is useful for stating that it is your day off.Tatoeba #7352882 by Aiji, translation #3326789 by CK
- Il prit un jour de congé.He took a day off.This sentence is useful for saying someone took a day off.Tatoeba #1314102 by sacredceltic, translation #288449 by CK
- J'ai pris un jour de congé.I got the day off.This sentence is useful for saying you got the day off.Tatoeba #2316903 by Amastan, translation #5858956 by CK
- J'aimerais prendre un congé demain pour me reposer.I would like to take a day off tomorrow to rest.
- Je souhaite avoir un jour de repos supplémentaire cette semaine.I would like to have an extra day off this week.
- On se voit demain, j'ai mon jour de congé !See you tomorrow, I have my day off!
- Je compte prendre une journée de repos ce weekend.I plan on taking a day off this weekend.
- J'ai besoin d'une journée de congé.I need a day off.
- Je prends un jour de repos demain.I am taking a day off tomorrow.
- 49 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are talking about their work schedule.
- LucasTu travailles ce vendredi, Chloé ?Are you working this Friday, Chloé?
- ChloéNon, j'ai un jour de congé.No, I have a day off.
- LucasC'est super, profite bien de ton repos !That's great, enjoy your rest!
- ChloéMerci, Lucas !Thanks, Lucas!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “day off” translations and entries jour de congé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries congé, de, jour, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
